Sandra‘s Closet

Great news, my dear Swiss readers! This week, the annual Mercedes-Benz Fashion Days Zurich kick off on Wednesday evening with their big opening night and you have the chance to win two tickets. But you have to be fast!

To participate, please send me an e-mail with your postal address and the header “Mercedes-Benz Fashion Days Zurich” to . All entries must be received until today November 10, 2014 at 6pm CET. No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win this contest. By entering this contest, entrants accept and agree to be bound by these official rules. The winner has to have a Swiss address.

At work front row during last year’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Days Zurich

Let me tell you a little more what you can expect during the night at Schiffbau Zurich and also during the next days in general. There will be a lot of highlights taking place at Switzerland´s biggest fashion event from November 12-15, 2014. First of all, Max Mara is the headlining designer of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Days Zurich which will celebrate their  fifth anniversary this year. The well-known Italian luxury-brand whose signature-look consists of timeless coats and jackets, was founded in 1951 by Mr Achille Maramotti and the label is still a family-run company that seeks to design elegant long-term fashion. With more than 2300 stores in 105 countries, Max Mara has become one of the largest international fashion houses.

A stunning red carpet look during the MBFDZ 2013 by Good & Vitalini St. Moritz

Furthermore, red carpet favourite, Bibhu Mohapatra will showcase his S/S 2015 collection at the Mercedes-Benz Opening Night. After working for more than a decade as design director for J. Mendel, the New York based Indo-American designer founded his own label in 2008. Today the brand is sold in prestigious stores, such as Bergdorf Goodman and dresses influential women like Michelle Obama, Glenn Close and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Below please find the event overview of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Days Zurich below. I attached some photos of last year’s events for you to get an idea of what will be going on. It is your chance to indulge in fashion and experience first class designers, models and shopping first hand. I highlighted the best events for you!

Front row next to Karlie Kloss last year.

PUBLIC EVENTS:

LATE FASHION SHOPPING NIGHT ZURICH
By cool shopping map, annabelle & Mercedes-Benz Fashion Days Zurich
· Aziza Zina, St. Peterhofstatt 8
· Deecee Style, Talacker 21
· H&M, Bahnhofstrasse 92
· BOSS Store Zürich, Bahnhofstrasse 39
· IRO, Strehlgasse 5
· Little Black Dress, Rämistrasse 7 & Josefstrasse 45
· N2, Brotgasse 3
· Onitsuka Tiger, Sihlstrasse 17
· Trois Pommes, Bahnhofstrasse 12
· Van Bery, Torgasse 6
· Vestibule, St. Peterstrasse 20
Tuesday, November 11 (7:00PM – 10.00PM)
Late Fashion Shopping Night Drinks (10:00 PM) @ Onyx Bar, Park Hyatt Zurich, Beethoven-Strasse 21

MEET & SHOP THE DESIGNERS @ TEMPORÄR, FASHIONSLAVE Wednesday, November 12 (4:00PM)

SAMSUNG LIVE ACT Thursday, November 13 (7.45pm) @ VIP TENT
Creating a bespoke Samsung Galaxy Tab S by Sandra Bauknecht (Style Icon, Editor in Chief 
L’Officiel Switzerland and Blogger www.sandrascloset.com).
Great news is that my dear readers will be able to win this Samsung Galaxy Tab S designed by me after the FDZ here on my blog. Stay tuned for the contest coming up next week!

AFTER PARTY @ CLUB BELLEVUE Thursday, November 13 (11:30PM)

Aziza Zina’s finale last year

MODE TRIFFT DESIGN @ HGC SHOWROOM Aziza Zina exhibition at HGC Showroom, Hardturmstrasse 101 Friday, November 14 (4:00PM)

AFTER PARTY @ PLAZA CLUB Friday, November 14 (11:30PM)

With Carmen Cita Jones at last year’s opening night.

SWISS DESIGNERS SALE by Montagsmarkt @ SCHIFFBAU FOYER
Berenik, Kazu, Pelikamo, Laend Phuengkit, RS Hader, Javier Reyes, Stefanie Biggel, Aziza Zina, LBD – Little Black Dress, Van Bery, studiowinkler, Julian Zigerli, Alsamendi, Carmen Cita Jones Jewellery, Griesbach, Kinsfolk, Pamb, Yana Rey, Yoshiki und Viu. Saturday, November 15 (12:00PM – 9:00PM)

With Italian designer duo Frankie Morello

POP-UP SALE @ TROIS POMMES THE STORE Notte Italiana Pop-Up Sale (9.30AM – 6PM)
My tip: A MUST GO!!!

SCHIFFBAU FOYER Pre & after show drinks November 12-15

Karlie Kloss taking pictures of the Cushnie et Ochs collection

Designer duo Cushnie et Ochs with Karlie Kloss and me

BY INVITATION ONLY EVENTS:

H&M STUDIO SS15 @ CLOUDS Exclusive event for invited guests only Wednesday, November 12 (2:00PM – 4:00PM)

DISNEY FASHION OPEN HOUSE @ CLOUDS Exclusive launch of the latest Disney, Marvel and Star Wars products, for invited guests only Friday, November 14 (10:00AM – 4:00PM)

MBFDS TALKS@ VIP TENT presented by Mercedes-Benz & The League of Leading Ladies
Talking the latest fashion trends of 2015, for invited guests only
Normcore with blogger Sandra Bauknecht and trend researcher Joan Billing Friday, November 14 (12:00PM – 2:00PM)

H&M CLOSING PARTY @ ESCHERWYSS CLUB Exclusive party for invited guests only Saturday, November 15 (10:30PM)

Follow me live on instagram @sandrascloset during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Days Zurich.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: @ Sandra Bauknecht, © Andrea Monica Hug (Chic in Zurich), David Biedert Photography, © Fashiongamble Joy, © Getty Images, Style.com and Courtesy of the MBFDZ

Last Thursday, Tiffany & Co. celebrated the launch of the brand’s newest collection TIFFANY T in Zurich at the Museum Bellerive. It marks design director Francesca Amfitheatrof’s first line for the iconic house. “The letter T is sculptural and bold and very closely linked to the architecture of New York City,” she explains. The trained jeweler and silversmith reimagined the letter T as a piece of engineering, which you can see in the mechanisms for these cuffs.

The Museum Bellerive was bathed in pink light. Guests enjoyed yummy food and champagne while exploring the new jewelry pieces.

Here I am wearing two Tiffany T bracelets, one in 18k white gold and one in 18k rose gold, both with round brilliant diamonds.

Sport commentator Marcel Reif framed by Gitta Gräfin Lambsdorff, Managing Director Tiffany & Co. to the right and me to the left.

The collection is in stores now and available in different shapes in silver or gold. Personally speaking, I truly love the design, especially many bracelets worn together look really cool.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Tiffany & Co. and © Sandra Bauknecht

We have a new hot spot in Zurich: the 80-seat restaurant LOUIS’ located on the lakeside in Wollishofen. The new place to eat  offers a unique view of the Zurich’s skyline along with a gastronomic experience at the highest level by chef Christoph Eisner and his team. Lars Krauss (pictured with me above at the opening last Thursday) has fulfilled his dream of owning a restaurant together with his business partner Verena Thalmann. Their passion for the project can be seen in every single detail.

The interior design is beautiful with white as the main color and four pastel shades that can be found in various furniture elements. The eye-catching chandeliers were specially made for the restaurant. A small but fine champagne bar and lounge area on the gallery invites guests to linger. In the summer months the urban feeling is complemented by a tastefully furnished terrace with 80 seats.

The seasonally changing menu offers special lunch dishes in the price range of CHF 25.00 to 30.00. Highlights are for example lukewarm beetroots with a mousse of smoked trout (CHF 17.00), fried duck liver with apple compote (CHF 21.00), roasted corn-fed chicken stuffed with lemon, ricotta and dried tomatoes, accompanied by vegetable couscous (CHF 39.00), sautéed fillet of sea bass with ratatouille (CHF 48.00) and chocolate mousse with milk rice (CHF 14.00).

Restaurant Louis’, Seestr. 457, 8038 Zurich-Wollishofen, Switzerland
Phone: + 41-44 221 15 15
Monday – Friday 10am – 12am
Saturday 6pm – 12am
Sunday closed

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Louis Restaurant

When Marilyn Monroe sang in the 1953 film ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes‘, “Men grow cold as girls grow old, and we all lose our charms in the end. But square-cut or pear-shaped, these rocks don’t lose their shape. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” she became a legend.
I could go on and sing: “Talk to me VAINARD! Tell me all about it!”

The Zurich-based fine jeweler, who is a leading supplier in the natural colored diamond segment, seemed to have heard my request and flew me to its own factory in Idar-Oberstein, the famous German gemstone center, which is also the birth place of Hollywood actor Bruce Willis. There I was able to see the different stages of crafting an exclusive diamond ring, from the sawing and cutting process to the stone setting.

Moreover, I could lend a hand and make my own diamond ring which was an unforgettable experience. It is very rare that a jeweler has a factory in which the diamond cutting workshop is done in-house as well as the design and the setting. Needless to say, this close cooperation between all different stages results in extremely high quality.

The word diamond drives from Greek origin and means “unbreakable“. In fact, a diamond has the highest hardness and thermal conductivity of any bulk material.

Most natural diamonds are formed at high temperature and pressure at depths of 140 to 190 kilometers in the Earth’s mantle and are brought close to the surface through deep volcanic eruptions by magma, which cools into igneous rocks. The last volcanic activity to convey these valuable stones was almost over 100 million years ago. Carbon-containing minerals provide the carbon source of a diamond, and the growth occurs over periods from 1 billion to 3.3 billion years, which are 25% to 75% of the age of the Earth.

Speaking of which, the rarity of a diamond makes this precious stone a must-have among us ladies. There is no girl whose eyes don’t sparkle when gifted with this luxurious gemstone. Diamonds signify steadfast, enduring love because of their unmatched strength and beauty. They can be worn with any outfit, from an elegant cocktail dress to blue jeans.

Extremely important is the gemological characteristic of the stone which shows the value as a gem. Four characteristics, known informally as the four Cs, are today commonly used as the basic descriptors: these are carat (its weight), cut (quality of the cut is graded according to proportions, symmetry and polish), color (how close to white or colorless; for fancy diamonds how intense is its hue), and clarity (how free is it from inclusions).

Because of its extremely rigid lattice, the stone can be contaminated by very few types of impurities. Nitrogen is by far the most common one found in gem diamonds and is responsible for the yellow color. Boron is responsible for the blue hue. Colored diamonds contain impurities or structural defects that cause the coloration, while pure or nearly pure diamonds are transparent and colorless. Their rarity and beauty makes some of the colored diamonds worth millions of dollars.

Creating the final spectacle of a polished diamond jewelry piece can take years to master. Having an understanding of the construction of such a small object is in fact very fascinating. Let me show you what I observed and learned in Idar-Oberstein about the specific skills and techniques that are used to make such an object of desire.

It all starts with the sawing process of the raw diamond that takes several hours. The copper saw blade has to be coated with fine diamond powder to work with this extremely hard material. It takes many years to learn this skill to avoid damaging the stone.

The following multi-step process called “cutting” finally reveals the diamond’s outstanding beauty. This extremely delicate procedure also requires skills, scientific knowledge, tools and experience, as those gemstones can brittle and be split up by a single blow.

The most time-consuming part of the cutting is the preliminary analysis of the rough stone. It needs to address a large number of issues, bears much responsibility, and therefore can last years in case of unique diamonds.

After initial sawing, the diamond is shaped in numerous stages of cutting. Unlike sawing, which is a responsible but quick operation, cutting removes material by gradual erosion and is extremely time consuming. Its final goal is to produce a faceted jewel where the specific angles between the facets would optimize the diamond luster.

Every facet in an ideal cut diamond must be placed at precise angles and contain precise proportions. This ensures the perfect balance between maximum brilliance and dispersion of light. Any discrepancy from these proportions will result in a loss of sparkle.

After the cutting of the stones is finished, the goldsmith will start his work according to the drawing the Vainard jewelry designer prepared beforehand.

The stones depending on the shank need to go back to the diamond cutting workshop in order to achieve the perfect fit. Once this step is completed, the stone setter fits them into the setting.

I have to admit that I had a lot of fun making my own diamond ring. Needless to say, the Vainard team had prepared the most important steps and helped me with the execution.

The first step in soldering is to dip the piece of gold with the help of a brush into a solution of boric acid and alcohol before lighting it.

You have to be very careful as you work with temperatures above 3000 degrees Celsius.

For some work stages, you need to use a microscope to work as precisely as possible.

The final step for me was to close the four claw prong setting with the help of a special working tool. What seems so easy is actually pretty difficult as you are looking through a magnifying glass for maximum precision which made me feel pretty uncoordinated.

Every Vainard Fine Jewellery piece undergoes a final inspection after its ensuing polishing. After having seen the craftsmanship, the expertise and love for detail, I truly appreciate the work of such a fine jeweler even more than I already did before.

When we went into the vault and I was able to indulge in the most beautiful pieces of jewelry, I fell in love with the emerald cut diamond ring and the bracelet you have been seen me a lot with recently. Those treasures make me happy every time I am wearing them and they are something that I will happily pass on one day to my daughter.

There is no doubt, diamonds are a girl’s best friend! If you are in Zurich, I truly recommend a visit to the Vainard Fine Jewellery shop at Schlüsselgasse 4, Phone +41 44 210 04 44.

Besides its large selection of  diamond jewelry, the renowned jeweler also works with colored gemstones and is happy to finalize your own designs as well as to remodel an existing piece.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
Photo of the shop in collage: © Vainard, Photo of Marilyn Monroe: Via Vanity Fair

One week ago, when I just got back from Paris Fashion Week, I attended in the evening the official re-opening of the BOSS flagship store on Zurich’s famous Bahnhofstrasse. It was a very fun event that started in the 600 m² shop with a cocktail reception. The new interior looks super cool with its black steel structures, mirrored elements and glossy surfaces – heaven for every shopaholic.

I was really a BOSS(y) girl that night wearing a BOSS head to toe look. The black dress is from the F/W 2014 collection as well as the gorgeous heels and the Romy leather bag. With Jason Wu at the helmet, BOSS can look forward to a rosy future, that is for sure.

After the cocktail reception in the boutique, the approximately 250 invited guests were transferred to the FLUX Laboratory at Schiffsbau where a stunning forest setting awaited the crowd along with delicious food, drinks and great music. A truly fun party!
Enjoy all the photos below!

LoL, Sandra

Yannick Angelloz-Nicoud, Senior Head of Global Public Relations, Events & Celebrity Services

German actor Moritz Bleibtreu with me

Swiss topmodel Ronja Furrer in Boss with Volker Herre, Managing Director, Hugo Boss AG Schweiz

Having fun at the opening party at Flux Laboratory, all dressed in BOSS: Moritz Bleibtreu, Aino Laberenz, Julia Malik, Anna Maria Mühe, Lavinia Wilson, Jasmin Gerat and Claus-Dietrich Lahrs, CEO Hugo Boss AG

Photos: Courtesy of Hugo Boss and © Sandra Bauknecht

Prove them wrong and follow my advice! If you have space, keep your clothes, there will always be a time for them again.

Knitwear dressing made a big comeback on the runways for the F/W 14 season and I am so happy that I have kept these S/S 2008 Prada pieces. They are so perfect for this fall.

F/W 2014: Stella McCartney – Céline – Marc Jacobs

My look: Cardigan, long knitted top and flared pants, all by Prada, wooden clogs by Miu Miu, pound printed modal and cashmere-blend scarf by Mary Katrantzou, orange colored Birkin bag and Hapi leather bracelet, both by Hermès, rose diamond necklace by Piaget and Double C diamond black lacquer white gold ring by Cartier.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Finally, we had a sunny weekend in Switzerland and I got to wear some of my S/S 2014 pieces that had been left untouched in my closet due to the dreadful weather of the last weeks. Here you see me strolling through the city of Zurich on Saturday.

My look: Printed cotton-poplin bustier dress, floral print long cardigan and lace sandals, all by Givenchy, small ‘Sac de Jour’ tote by Saint Laurent, sunglasses by Céline, diamond ring and diamond bracelet, both by Vainard Fine Jewellery, Limelight Gala watch by Piaget.

LoL, Sandra

© Sandra Bauknecht

Yes, I still can get very excited about press announcements and this one really made my heart leap with joy as I am a huge nail polish aficionado.

This month, the 10th Zurich Film Festival will take place and Dior is launching two limited edition nail lacquers to celebrate this occasion. The two shades 228 Reflects (golden sparkles that also look beautiful over any other nail color) and 808 Night Shock (a metallic shiny black) will be available from September 10, 2014 at Globus Zürich, Globus Glatt and at the ZFF Festival Center at Sechseläutenplatz for CHF 37.00 each.

My international readers might recognize the nail polishes as they were part of Dior’s first pre-fall collection ‘Dior Colour Icons’. Unfortunately the beautiful red shade 888 Tout Paris won’t be available in Switzerland. But let’s be happy we can get our hands at those two exclusive ones! I just love that kind of stuff!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Dior, ZFF and © Sandra Bauknecht

Recently I went to a very special event that took place at Zurich‘s new Neo Club on Europaallee. IRO Zurich had invited the city’s fashionable crowd to explore how fashion meets art. Swiss graffiti artist Shark hosted the URBAN ART ACT during which he live painted one of the French brand’s fabulous leather jackets. The performance appealed so much to the audience that everyone wanted to have the piece. Great news is that you can win this individual item in the September issue of L’Officiel Switzerland that will hit the shelves Mid August.

Good luck to you! In the meantime, I recommend a visit the IRO shop in Zurich on Strehlgasse 5. Probably the color combination of black and gold has inspired you a little… I like to add a pop of color as I did with my green bag.

My look: Fur stole by Blumarine, lace mini dress, green ‘Miss Sicily’ bag, coin earrings and cameo coin necklace, all by Dolce & Gabbana, Janis leather pumps by Saint Laurent, Mitza ring by Dior Haute Joaillerie and Lady Excalibur watch by Roger Dubuis.

LoL, Sandra

Graffiti artist Shark with me

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht and © Andrea Monica Hug

Last week, the first Karl Lagerfeld shop in Switzerland opened its doors at Jelmoli in Zurich with a fun party and I had the honor to unveil it. On the ground floor, you can find all accessories, bags and other fun gadgets. On the second floor of the famous department store, you can shop the prêt-à-porter collection.

The lovely Karl Lagerfeld team had flown in for the event.

Raquel Marquard and my humble self had fun trying some hats by Karl Lagerfeld.

Stylist Clifford Lilley with me

Monique Hollinger framed by Sonja Hog to the right and me to the left

Dusa Bibus to the left and Yvonne Bieri (Womenswear Buyer at Jelmoli) to the right.

The unveiling ceremony was fun. I gave a short speech and told a little anecdote about the first contact I had with Karl Lagerfeld many years ago as an assistant at Marie Claire magazine. As I am huge fan of him, I felt very honored to cut the ribbon of his first store in Switzerland.

Karl Lagerfeld on display for your home as part of a capsule range produced in collaboration with Manga-inspired brand tokidoki. He says: “I am very flattered that I became a ‘tokidoki’! I always loved them and I am very happy to be one of them”.

It was a great night surrounded by amazing people! Stay tuned for the outfit post coming up soon! Happy Weekend!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © David Biedert, © Karl Lagerfeld and © Sandra Bauknecht